Reign of the Nomads
by Lynniethe7th
Summary: This story is being rewritten. A vengeful Sneasel joins forces with a considerate Marill in the war-torn Johto region long after human civilization has fallen. Hoping to both evolve into their final forms, they encounter unlikely alliances and a powerful common enemy. Contains some elements from the Mystery Dungeon games. AU based.
1. Chapter 1

_After almost three months I've decided to post another story. I've shifted from Minecraft to Pokémon, and although I always loved Pokémon, I haven't thought about writing fanfics for it until recently. Hmmm, I can only write about "kiddy" stuff. Well here you go, a story of a Sneasel and Marill. I honestly don't know why I picked these two… but enjoy._

* * *

The abrupt sound of a distant ring echoed through the frosty air as a brutal gust of wind tore through the snowy landscape, the entire forest bathed in a sheet of powdery, dry snow. The pelting snow and wailing winds prevented any living being from embracing the atrocious conditions, albeit a duo of desperate Pokémon that trudged through the snow, both exhausted.

One was a dark teal bipedal Pokémon with two bright pink feathers adorned on the top of its head and three attached to its lower back. At the end of its arms and legs it possessed vicious claws which currently remained sheathed, but where ready if required. The teal Pokémon, commonly known as Sneasel, practically carried a plump blue water Pokémon with a large white area on its stomach through the roaring blizzard. The Sneasel was accustomed to the harsh weather, for the very fabric of his being made him a creature of the brisk cold and impenetrable darkness. However, the young Pokémon was concerned for his friend, Marill, despite the fact that her thick fat made her capable of enduring such conditions.

Originally, Sneasel was a nomadic Pokémon, for he had his sights set on finding the very item that would evolve him into a sly and cunning Weavile. Eventually, he met a cute female Marill thirsting for an intriguing adventure, and from that moment Sneasel and Marill had been companions. Sneasel had planned on discovering the much needed razor claw solo, but the long voyage away from his home, Mt. Silver, made him grow increasingly lonely, since his kind were rather social creatures. He allotted that Marill journeyed with him, and he had been glad to make such a decision.

Although he was a fierce Pokémon at heart, his compassion for Marill was apparent. His arms were wrapped around her small spherical body as he carried her; he felt her stomach growl, longing for a much needed meal to fill it. He too was hungry, but his usual meals of bird-Pokémon eggs were not present in this forest. Based on the unexpectedness of the weather in this woodland, he guessed he was located somewhere near the Lake of Rage. Marill was an herbivore, and the ice-type Pokémon doubted any berries grew in the forest at this time of year. The only visuals Sneasel received in the forest were the outlines of deciduous trees that had since shed their leaves and the common conifers that retained all of the wind-blown snow. Although he was adept at seeing in the dark, his nocturnal eyes failed to find any presence of food to fill him or Marill. He simply continued on, his tired feet barely moving through the snow. Marill's eyes were squinted, her eyelids falling down in preparation for sleep, and her large dome shaped ears twitched occasionally, aware for any welcoming sounds.

Marill then used her stubby arms to poke at Sneasel's chest. Her acute hearing allowed her to detect many sounds at surprising distances. Ignoring the howling of the wind through the trees and the moving of Sneasel, Marill swore she heard a bell-like sound coming from the south, the direction Sneasel was heading. She poked Sneasel's chest again.

"Hmph?" Sneasel gave out a masculine grunt, looking down at the Pokémon now attached to him.

She muttered a weak question. "Hear that?"

Sneasel perked his cat-like ears up. He stood in the accumulating snow, listening attentively for anything out of the ordinary. After a few moments, he managed to receive sharp, unfavorable rings. He felt an unnatural shiver run down his spine. If a Pokémon was making that uproar, it may be the destruction of him and his friend, but it could be their salvation. At this point in time, Sneasel was finished with the day's journey and he demanded rest and a meal.

Giving Marill a curt nod to affirm he too had acknowledged the chime, he forced his aching feet to drag on furthermore. As Sneasel approached a hill with a rather gentle incline, he let Marill go of his embrace, his sore arms relieved of her weight. Still, she was weaker than him, so Sneasel aided her as they walked up the rolling hill. Marill's ears continued to rotate around like a radar dish as the pair approached the crest of the minute hill. The ring kept becoming distorted and muffled by the wind; neither Marill nor Sneasel surmised how far they were from it. The two just hoped that something helpful was to come from whatever they would see next.

Taking the last painful steps to the top the two weary Pokémon were presented with nothing but more forest before them. Sneasel almost lost his composure. If a Pokémon was taking this to be a joke, the Pokémon was due to become lacerated by Sneasel's claws. Sneasel was in no mood for games at this level of desperation.

Marill's ears keep scanning the area, and to the southwest, the jingle was the most prominent. From her position, she assumed whatever was making the noise to be stationary, but her eyes were unable to penetrate the night. Was something beckoning them?

As Sneasel attempted to grab Marill's tiny arm telling her to get a move on, he noted Marill was focused on the chiming still, for she was staring to the southwest. When Sneasel glanced up to view the area in the direction his friend was turned, he felt his mouth become agape as an Exploud's.

Off in the remoteness stood a human dwelling, which was well-keep, two-stories, and from Sneasel's viewpoint, adjacent to a previously used road. Why a human would build in this sector of an isolated forest he could not tell, but looking at the house something had to be residing inside it. What if a human lived inside?

Sneasel's heart fell to the pit of his stomach. The core of human civilization had fallen long before he was born, and no house would be able to withstand the test of time and destruction from Pokémon and the elements. Only some migratory tribes of the surviving humans remained, and now Pokémon dominated the world as they had always should. The human abode was much too perfect to be left abandoned. He would have to get a closer look, but Sneasel was positive that this home wasn't damaged.

"Sneasel, what's wrong? What's there?" Marill obviously observed Sneasel staring at whatever captured his interest. He was the most astonished that Marill had recalled all day.

Sneasel grasped Marill, holding her arm tightly as Sneasel compelled his feet to stroll through the snow. Marill wasn't able to run because of her depleted energy, but somehow Sneasel mustered enough energy from thin air to get to his location. He and Marill slid down the other side of the hill, Marill's face coming in contact with the snow multiple times. She still hadn't received an answer for whatever he had just discovered.

After a minute of Sneasel sprinting with Marill in tow, he stopped, huffing and breathing heavily. Marill lay on her back, unable to summon adequate muscle to pick herself up from the harsh, slushy ground. After Sneasel regained what little strength he had, he helped to heave her up from the ground, and in front of her she was finally able to perceive the object that Sneasel had grown so animated over.

Before the two was the front of a human dwelling. The pair stood on a snow covered road, eyeing the home with awe. In front of them was a yard covered in ice, and further away was a tiny porch attached the house. They heard the chiming ring profoundly and incessantly, and both noticed that the silver, hollow instruments flailing in the wind that had produced the jingle. The musical sound device hung off of small protrusion from the home's exterior wall near the front entrance. Around the porch were some hardy bushes and shrubs, and the greenery was kept in fair condition. Two large front windows were etched into the home's beige siding, one located to the left of the entryway and the other to the right of the door. The two Pokémon could not discern what monsters lodged on the inside, since white blinds blocked their view. Despite the accumulation of snow on the roof, it appeared to be structurally sound.

Sneasel began to talk, his voice doubtful. "I can't believe this. This isn't right."

Marill inched closer to Sneasel to receive some of his warmth. "Just what isn't right?"

"I've seen many human structures in my travels, but this one is too perfect. There is no damage by Pokémon, no broken windows, cave-ins, or anything I can tell falling apart. I… think a human's in it."

"A human!" Marill shrieked, pulling Sneasel closer to her. "I thought they were gone…"

"Not all of them. A few remain, but that's what other Pokémon have told me. I've never seen any live ones."

"Why would one live here? We're in the middle of nowhere!"

Sneasel thought about that. Humans liked to be in the company of others of their own kind, a feature rather similar to his nature. Despite the resemblances he made with them, he detested comparing his people with humans. Truth be told, he hated all humans in general, ranging from those from the past and those he may encounter now. They made Pokémon do their bidding, not to mention they assisted in creating his worst enemy, the Pokémon that took his sister's life on Mt. Silver….

Sneasel shook his head. Whether a human was in there or not, he was going in. If the human wanted to cause trouble with him, Sneasel's claws would do the talking.

Now he just needed a quiet way for the two of them to enter….

* * *

_That's it. My writing may be weird, but that's me. I have the ideas for the next few chapters, but after that I'll begin to accept ideas. I like reviews more than anything, so if you liked… review!_


	2. Chapter 2

_This would've been up earlier, but I watched all four subbed episodes of Pokémon origins…. Squee! I felt like a little kid again!_

_Well, thank for your rather ecstatic reviews and the favorites. I didn't know this story had that much potential. This chapter's short. It was kind of rushed, so there may be mistakes, but it hints at what's to come(AKA, it's important). Enjoy!_

Sneasel and Marill stared at the house, their starving minds failing to contemplate any method, whether it be quiet or disruptive, of getting inside the majestic house. They just further subjected themselves to the chilling gale blowing, the wind chimes still sounding their delicate jingle.

"How will we get through? The door's closed," Sneasel uttered as he viewed his friend caressing him.

"Well didn't you mention that doors can open?"

"It's not open; it's probably locked." Sneasel looked around in the near vicinity of his location. "At this point, I'll break a window." He failed to find or summon the energy to search for a rock or any similar object amongst the layer of fluffy accumulation.

"Try the door, it won't hurt."

Sneasel didn't argue as he and Marill paced through the snow to the front porch. By the looks of it, the brown door wasn't made of any easily destroyed material, such as wood. It appeared to be strong and solid, keeping out intruders.

Crawling up the porch's stairs, Sneasel received another tingling sensation at the base of his spine. The house at this proximity kept sending him unusual signals, as if a warning to shoo the fatigued duo away. He ignored it. At this point, he believed that the strange happenings resulted solely from his weariness. To think a house could message him such warnings was preposterous.

"Sneasel, how does a door work?" Marill made out the door's outline in the night, and she scurried in front of Sneasel, pushing on the brown door, her attempt to open it reigning fruitless. She quickly tired herself out, for she then slid down, back into the snow, leaving the work up to Sneasel.

Sneasel inspected the brass doorknob. Other Pokémon had done such actions of getting inside a human dwelling by turning the knob on a door. At Sneasel's height, he had to elongate his arms up all the way until he reached the wickedly cold and ice encrusted knob. Fixating his paws onto the object, he twisted the knob, and he discovered by the flexibility of the turn that the place hadn't been locked. What stupid humans… why would they _ever_ keep a door open at night?

"Thank Arceus," he muttered under his breath. "Marill, I need you to push on the door."

Marill moaned as she lifted herself up. "Is it open?"

"Yes! I need you to push on it now!"

Marill's spirit instantly lifted as she tackled the door, and Sneasel felt the door now giving away. It was moving backwards- and he too began to thrust himself at the metal door.

The door flung open, and Sneasel and Marill found themselves resting on the tiled floor near the home's entrance. They both felt a wave of welcomed heat flood and soak into their forms. Sneasel was comfortable with the cold, but the heat didn't faze him. Marill on the other hand, was elated by the warmth, for she told Sneasel to get out of the way, as she wanted to close the door which now let in the blistering cold and the remnants of the snowstorm. They both fought the howling winds as they rammed the door closed, and the cold draft ceased instantly.

Sneasel composed himself before he attempted to understand what condition this home was in. A human lived in it; he acknowledged that concept. The two Pokémon were positioned in a living room with a recliner, sofa, black coffee table and an entertainment center topped with a flat screen television. Sneasel was not able to grasp the purposes for the objects, nor could he conceive what they were called. In front of the entryway lead to the carpeted upstairs, the dark rug fresh and clean. He was in no mood to climb more stairs, so Sneasel lead the essentially blind Marill over the pristine wood floors of the small parlor and into the kitchen.

As soon as Sneasel entered the room, he immediately knew what the humans used it for. This was the room where the humans would cook and dine. A wooden table and a set of four chairs were placed on one side of the room, while the stainless steel appliances and white cabinetry was located at the other side, arranged in an "L" shape.

The hunger of Marill and Sneasel prevailed over any other suspicions they had of this shady, dubious house. Visible packages of unknown human food were lined on the counters, as if humans had just returned from a grocery store. The Pokémon disregarded this strange presentation of human food as if the residents had laid the meals out for their guests.

"Look! Look! What's that?" Marill jumped joyfully as Sneasel glanced over to the counter brimming with food. Marill's eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she could perceive a package of some type of human food with intricate, shiny metallic letters. Sneasel, clutching onto Marill's stubby arm, raced over to the counter. Since he was taller than she was, he hoisted the package down from the countertop. He tore the plastic violently with his teeth, since he couldn't find any other way to open it. Upon doing this, a series of cubical off-white food dotted with green herbs (croutons) scattered all over the floor. Released from the bag was a pungent, mouth-watering aroma. Whether the croutons were retrieved from the floor or from the bag, the two ransacked and consumed the much needed meal with haste.

The two Pokémon kept dragging down the food that lay on top of the counters. They had sweet pastries, savory crackers, fresh, tender berries, and unidentified fruits to satisfy their ravenousness. They made a sloppy mess of squashed or crushed food and discarded containers all over the tiled floors. The twosome was absolutely indifferent to what they had just done, but a much need meal prevailed over their other worries.

"I can go to sleep now, right here…" Marill rolled onto her back, her eyes closing slowly as she reclined upon the filth on the floor.

"You can't," Sneasel expressed weakly. "Did you forget that humans live here?" What will they do when they find us?" Sneasel's efforts to remain conscious was slipping too; digesting a heavy meal was placing a burden on him. He wanted to get up, but his strength was absent now. He was going to end up passing out on the floor with an unknown amount of harsh humans still within the home. He felt his eyelids fall shut, and within a minute, neither Pokémon stirred as they fell into long-awaited sleep.

* * *

"We actually caught something tonight? It's been a while."

It had been about four hours since Sneasel and Marill had discovered the peculiar house, and now the blizzard had subsided significantly, and dawn was approaching. Faint light along the eastern horizon was present beyond the conifers and barren trees. The previous night's storm left a decent accumulation of about a foot among the ground. Outside of the house, two voices communicated with each other, a male and female.

"Yes, your luring plan works well," the male retorted, "It's rather impressive."

"Crafty, isn't it?" the female announced, her voice satisfied from the male's praise. "Fools. They'll get a rude awakening for entering my house."

"Well, let's greet the unfortunate little couple," the male said as the two figures approached the humble dwelling.

_FYI- I may not update every week; I had to write a speech and do other homework… but I won't forget about this story._

_Review kindly. Thank you! _


	3. Chapter 3

_This is a long chapter. If you want a preview, it has a lot to do with evolution. Enjoy!_

* * *

Marill found herself positioned by a large, peaceful pond in a quaint area of an unknown forest, autumn in full swing. Red, yellow, and orange leaves rained from the forest's trees and flew to rest onto the grassy area nearby the small oval lake. She had no recollections of how she got to her location; it seemed as if she had been dropped there from a passing bird Pokémon's talons. There were no other living beings in the area except for her and her parents. Marill saw her mother, an Azumarill, and her father, a Quagsire, both of whom were splashing near the pond's edge playfully. She instantaneously felt the need to approach the two to give them a proper reunification.

It had been several months since she had seen the couple, but she left them because hanging around them wasn't going to allow her to evolve into her final form. When Sneasel visited her family's creek, she seized the opportunity to travel with him. Sneasel surpassed Marill's experience with being a nomad, since Marill's life revolved around the creek in her old forest.

"Hey there," her father spoke softly, the amphibious light blue Pokémon giving his daughter a warm smile. "I thought you'd be hungry. We managed to find these. Take one." His head twirled towards his mate, who stood beside him. The blue and white water rabbit pulled her attention away from the serene, quiet pond and to her child.

"Here," Azumarill displayed two large and plump Liechi berries to Marill, one in each of her tiny hands. Marill was astounded, for these berries were not simply given to anyone. They were extremely rare in Johto, but Marill generously took one of the berries she was allotted from her mother's blue hand. Marill's mouth watered as she pulled the fruit closer. Liechi berries were known to be a well-rounded blend of sweet, spicy, and sour, and she couldn't wait to sink her teeth into the firm, oddly shaped berry.

Out of the blue, Marill instantly felt a wave of bitter cold wash over her, as if she was stranded in the blizzard with Sneasel once more. She dropped the Liechi berry to the ground, suddenly losing her appetite. Her mother and father casually reclined on the cool grass and chatted, eating the Liechi berry they had split between them, and the both of them totally disregarded the brutal gale that began to cut through the autumn air. However this frigid wave of cold did not surface solely from the environment around her; it seemed to be gnawing at Marill's willpower and life force.

Around her, the scene of a calm lake settled in the tranquil, colorful forest began to contort into jagged, undesirable shapes. Turning to her parents robotically for assistance, Marill observed that her parents were distorted into melting blobs, and their hideous, crippling forms still relaxed by the water's edge, and the two attempted to converse with her as Marill scampered away from the two abnormalities. Before long, Marill found that the ground she was running on had been pulled away from under her feet, vacuumed away from an unknown force. She was now falling into a dark void, devoid of any color. She continued her descent, and she couldn't distinguish any trace of light in the blackness. Marill's energy began to slip away from her, and she failed to make any sense of the predicament she was trapped in.

That was before Marill swore she heard the sound of a distant, otherworldly cackle. It was sharp, unsettling, and it sent more chills up her spine. No other Pokémon, or to go beyond that, humans, were plainly visible in Marill's corrupted dream realm. The laughter simply continued repulsively, and it grew louder and more eerie as it bounced within Marill's head. Soon enough, Marill understood exactly what had happened to her. Sneasel had addressed her of this dire condition before; something had just consumed her rather pleasant dream.

Marill became partially conscious that she had previously been dreaming. In some sense she still was in dreaming, and she gained lucidity. She had to get up before this thing, most likely a ghost by Sneasel's accounts, did permanent damage. She clutched her ears, attempting to ignore the laughter erupting from whatever just fed off of her.

Marill screamed to herself repeatedly, "I want to get out of here!"

Soon enough, Marill was able to pull herself out of the trance, and she felt her body return to her.

* * *

Marill awoke abruptly, her heart palpitating, to discover a cleaned, organized kitchen with Sneasel snoring an arm's length away, his figure propped against a cupboard. Faint morning light had begun to pour into the kitchen. All the packages that Sneasel and Marill had torn through had all mysteriously returned on the top of the countertops in an orderly fashion. She was confounded about whom or what cleaned up and resupplied the stocks of food, but Marill acknowledged she was in far worse danger to be concerned with other matters. She felt it, another alert presence in the room, its eyes drilling into her soul. Scared out of her wits, Marill compelled her head to move towards the left portion of the room. Three feet away from her location, towards the table and chairs, she discovered a Ghost-Type Pokémon suspended in the air, hovering a few inches above the floor.

_That_ was the thing that consumed her dream. The Pokémon was a floating black orb surrounded by a purple, flame-like aura. It had large slanted eyes with minute pupils and a thin line for a mouth which had two small fangs protruding from it.

Marill stood up and staggered back, standing adjacent to the unconscious Sneasel. Marill was not able to surmise the ghost's strengths or its ability to battle. However, the ghost had been clear on what it really wanted to achieve- sapping her energy. There were no doubts about how the home was so peculiar; a ghost was living in it. The previous night Marill shrugged off any creepy feelings that swelled up in her. Now Marill wished that she had listened to her instincts.

"Hello there, little Marill," the ghost announced casually, the voice it produced deep yet feminine. Its face split into a smug grin, and the phantom rose several feet above Marill, trying to make her feel insignificant and weak.

Was this ghost… a she? Appearance-wise, it appeared boyish, but Marill had remembered that complexion and body style should never be used to figure out a Pokémon's gender.

The levitating orb approached Marill, effectively cornering her near where Sneasel slept and where the stainless steel oven was positioned. Marill tried to nudge Sneasel to arouse him, but he didn't respond. The ghost laughed its cold snicker again, and the talking sphere said, "He can't help you. You might as well give it up." The specter boldly drifted to be within a foot of Marill's face, and its eyes locked onto hers, happy to see the Marill defenseless and dreadful.

Marill, shaking in anxiety and fear, wasn't about to ponder what this gas ball meant by uttering '"give it up."' In her only effort to protect herself, Marill forced water up her throat, spraying the spirit with a water gun attack. The Ghost-type hadn't anticipated this attack, for it received a moderately powerful burst of water to its face. Unbeknownst to either Pokémon, Marill achieved her primary goal- getting her partner up. Although the ghost was mainly gaseous, some of the water the ghost received repelled off of its face and onto both sides from where it floated. Directly to the right of the ghost was Sneasel, who had been subjected to the splash effect. His teal fur became drenched with water as he became dripping wet, the excess water pooling onto the floor, the liquid spreading slowly across the cream-colored tiles.

Soon enough, Marill and the spherical floating Pokémon heard Sneasel shifting and sputtering as he confirmed he had been drowned with water.

Marill recoiled again with another water gun, and it propelled towards the ghost, but it dodged the incoming attack by a few inches. Marill pushed on Sneasel again as she breathed heavily, and Sneasel began to stir.

Sneasel was irritated and disgusted from his abrupt awaking, so he opened his eyes, seeing a ghost floating several feet from him. Marill stood by his side, watching her attacker gingerly. Sneasel sprang to his feet, unsheathed his claws, and then jumped in front of Marill, guarding the fatigued blue Pokémon.

"What Ghost Pokémon is that?" Marill asked Sneasel as multiple droplets of water dripped from his teal coat and exposed claws to the floor. "I think… it ate my dream!"

"A Gastly, a pain of a little ghost. I hate these damn things." Sneasel stared at the Gastly. For a weak Ghost-type, it sure was strong for knowing a dream eater attack… or perhaps even a nightmare attack. Usually a Gastly had to be evolved to effectively utilize those moves.

"Excuse me, but you don't think I can hear you?" the Gastly scoffed angrily. "I'm right here."

"A female one, eh? That's different. Little weak girly ghosts are twice as annoying."

Ending the conversation, the Gastly prepared an attack. From its wispy flaming aura, a shadowy sphere composed of dark matter separated from the Gastly like a dividing bacterium. The ball spun in the air in front of the Gastly's head, the gaseous orb aiming it at Sneasel.

"Shadow Ball!" Sneasel yelled, clutching Marill behind him, hurling her towards the kitchen's tables and chairs. "She's stronger than I thought," Sneasel shouted to his accomplice, "Get out of here!" Marill rolled from her back and onto her feet, scurrying into the parlor out of Sneasel's sight.

Sneasel's quick speed allowed him to narrowly evade the Gastly's attack. The counters behind Sneasel were demolished by where he had once been, and splitters of wood scattered in the vicinity. Packages of human food whirled in the air, coming to rest in the disheveled room after all of the shadow ball's energy had dissipated. The tiny ghost was more powerful than he would have anticipated, but she was at a disadvantage.

"Fool!" Sneasel screeched, landing in front of the Gastly. "Those types of attacks won't do any good on me!"

Gastly realized that cornering the Marill earlier was a rather poor decision on her part. If the Marill hadn't used water gun, she would have easily dealt with the Marill. Sneasel's dark typing prevented Gastly from doing any significant damage to him. At this point, she thought of giving up the fight, but she was too adamant to admit defeat, so she continued the battle despite acknowledging her imminent loss.

Sneasel raced up to the Gastly, blinding the small ghost with his quick bursts of speed. Whilst doing this, Sneasel's claws began to accumulate dark pulses of energy as he readied a sucker punch, using a Faint Attack on his target. The Dark-type move would absolutely knock the wind out of the conceited ghost. The light that radiated in through the large windows near the table prevented the puzzled ghost from fading into the shadows to conceal herself, although Sneasel's attack had no probability of missing.

Throwing the sinister punch in the gas ball's face, the Gastly wailed from the Dark-type attack. The Pokémon was forced backwards by the impact, and she ended up near the kitchen table. Shaking the effect off, the Gastly attempted to launch a Hypnosis wave towards Sneasel, but the ultrasonic pulses failed to emanate from the Gastly's glowing eyes. The Gastly quailed as her eyes remained a luminescent blue. "No…not this again!" the Pokémon bobbed her head from side to side, rejecting whatever was to happen. Her eyes clamped shut, as if suffering from great distress.

The Gastly's strange actions caused Sneasel's adrenaline-pumping fight to cease as he became bewildered by the ghost. "_What is going on with her?_" He thought to himself.

The Gastly sucked in air, her complexion distraught. The Gastly's purple aura surrounding her body soon began to glow white. Sneasel stood there, awestruck, finally realizing what this Gastly was refusing.

Evolving.

Sneasel couldn't comprehend the Pokémon's reasoning for not evolving. Not one Pokémon did Sneasel encounter before in his voyage that downright declined the opportunity to become a stronger, more threatening Pokémon. Some of the young ones were scared, yes, but it was clear this wasn't the first time that Gastly objected her metamorphosis. Did she hold a grudge against her evolution, or did she simply want to prove something?

Sneasel found the opportunity to counter against the distracted Gastly with another strike, but a new voice interrupted him. "Come on Gastly, do this already. He worked you up enough. You picked on him and his friend, and you should at least give him a good fight." Sneasel glanced around, hearing a male voice utter the sentence in plain distaste. After a moment, another Ghost Pokémon emerged from the parlor. This one was a teal color too, with an elongated head with pink aligned along the tips of its "hair." A bizarre ruffled "dress" existed below a red necklace that simulated red pearls that was adorned around the male ghost's neck. Sneasel recognized this ghost too, and seeing the Misdreavus made him homesick, for these ghosts were natives to Mt. Silver as well. Out of all the Ghost-Pokémon Sneasel encountered, the Misdreavus were the only ones that he held no vendettas towards. This was due to the fact that the Misdreavus often avoided the Sneasel and Weavile clans because of their vicious reputations. Whenever Sneasel saw a Misdreavus, it appropriately left him and his comrades alone, searching for easier prey to extract fearful emotions from.

Around this time, Marill poked around the corner of the living room and she peered into the kitchen, keeping her eyes fixated on the two ghosts intently as she inched closer towards Sneasel, who stood away from the bulk of the debris strewn about the kitchen, his fur still rather wet. How strange, not to mention unintelligent, was it for the Gastly to renounce its evolution. If it really wanted to claim victory against her friend, why didn't it evolve? Positioned by Sneasel, Marill grasped him in an embrace, appreciating that he had protected her. The two nomads then viewed the ghosts' discussion.

"Gastly, you can't keep doing this," Misdreavus sighed, both annoyed and concerned. "What if I'm not here and an even stronger Pokémon comes? I know you can dish out damage, but you're too fragile. A fully evolved Dark-type will destroy you. You need to learn some new tactics. You need to actually communicate with other ghosts more often. They'll tell you evolving _does_ increase your potential of winning."

Gastly quickly switched the subject. "Why didn't you help me with these two like you promised?" The Gastly peered past her friend to witness Sneasel and Marill firing bolts at her with their eyes.

Misdreavus was becoming frustrated, his red eyes displeased. "I thought maybe the Sneasel would knock some sense into you," the feminine male stated his next points slowly, his voice beginning to rise, "You are too _weak_. Plus your offensive strategy against an alert opponent is _terrible_."

Gastly rolled her eyes. "Humph, like Haunter's any better."

Misdreavus turned from his friend, glancing down to the ground disapprovingly. "At least you can evolve with solely experience." Misdreavus forced himself to glance at his stubborn friend. Gastly remained there, shining, brushing off this opportunity that Misdreavus wanted so desperately. The Misdreavus lost his temper that he held boiling within him. "Gastly… just evolve. Maybe you'll grow up and learn a new thing or two then. You're decades older that I am, and you still act like a child. The Sneasel would've ripped you to shreds if I hadn't come along. You don't screw around with his friends and expect mercy from him. Some of the Pokémon that come in here just need to be left alone, even if _you_ don't like it. One of these days, if you do this again, your stupidity will force you to the other side- permanently." Never before did Sneasel and Marill encounter a Pokémon as headstrong as this Gastly. It was fair to say that the Gastly got the tongue-lashing that she deserved.

Gastly remained hovering there, her head down. She was slightly ashamed, absorbing her friend's outburst. The male Misdreavus levitated away from the table, approaching Sneasel and Marill. Sneasel exposed his claws at the ghost as a precaution, but he knew the Misdreavus was going to orally admit his defeat unlike the friend that still remained brightly flashing behind him. The Gastly wasn't going through with its evolution, and Sneasel confirmed the arrogant thing wasn't doing it today in spite of her friend's plea.

Misdreavus came before them, noticing Sneasel's claws. "No, _I _wasn't looking for a fight," he mentioned, still infuriated, before lowering his voice to a whisper. "But I thank you for giving her a wake-up call. What brings you two here?"

Sneasel waited a moment before retracting his sharp claws. "Traveling, trying to evolve," he threw a smirk at Gastly, whose aura remained glowing, "so I can have enough _strength_ and _skill _to finally figure out what's going on at Mt. Silver. Human-induced evolutionary Pokémon are causing trouble with my clan. My people are dying," Sneasel spat, tasting bile in his mouth.

Gastly produced several, unnatural coughs as her white aura sluggishly returned to its usual purple. Her bright blue eyes returned to their normal white color.

Misdreavus ignored Gastly, for she once again refused to become a different Pokémon. At this point, Misdreavus wished that a larger, more superior Pokémon would come into her house and put her in her place. Perhaps if something threatened to obliterate her most prized possession, the house, she would morph.

"I left the mountain a while ago because of that nonsense. Those human-evolved Pokémon are swarming up there, and I'm scared to figure out why." Misdreavus shivered when he envisioned his home's destruction. The invasive Pokémon had to go, but he knew going solo to Mt. Silver to clean up the mess would easily kill him, removing him from this plane. It was irrational to go alone.

Marill disrupted the moment of silence. "What's the story with this house? It looks like a human lives here…"

Misdreavus cut the blue Pokémon off as he peered outside, seeing the first rays of sunlight hitting the tops of the pine trees. The fresh snowfall reflected even more light into the home's interior. "Trust me Marill. No humans are here. They'd been gone for a long time. If any come, they'll holler and bolt out of the door if they saw either of us." Misdreavus twirled around, spotting that Gastly had left the room; she must've gone upstairs to rest. He continued, spinning back to Marill, "This place has a long history and explaining to be conducted about it, but… Gastly won't tell me what's going on here. It involves something with her. What I do know is that she uses the home as bait so tired Pokémon like you are lured to come here. Every other thing about here… I don't know. I haven't lived here for a long time. It's just very abnormal, as you can tell."

Sneasel honestly admitted that Gastly's method of capturing prey was intelligent. The wind chines enticed prey, while the house provided a safe zone from the wind, snow, and cold. Its warmth and food-stuffed interior allowed for Pokémon to relax and sleep, and then she would strike. Sneasel found that well-planed procedure quite admirable despite his disliking for Gastly. Perhaps the intellect she held and the recognition of her power for her current evolutionary stage was what made her such a haughty Pokémon.

Thinking about Gastly's refusal to evolve again, Sneasel questioned Misdreavus about it as the Screeching Pokémon was inspecting the damages caused by Gastly's Shadow Ball. "Why won't she evolve? It's stupid for anything not to."

Misdreavus studied the wooden fragments and splitters from the cabinets, shaking his head. "Your guess is as good as mine. I'm tired of trying to get her to do it."

"Do you want to evolve?" Marill squeaked out involuntarily.

The teal ghost hesitated for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "Yes, but I'd have to leave here. I need to find a Dusk Stone. Leaving Gastly for a while… I'm unsure if she'll be okay. She likes my company."

Sneasel advanced toward the other Mt. Silver native. "She needs to be alone, especially if you want her to ever evolve." Sneasel concocted up a delicate tone. "Plus, Mt. Silver is in trouble. Your final evolution will help our efforts."

Misdreavus blinked and gazed at the Ice/Dark-type. The ghost wouldn't attempt to agree to assist the Weavile and Sneasel clans, but was he going to let his own suffer too? The Weavile were especially contentious, and this Sneasel intended to become one. To search all over Johto for one Razor Claw displayed his compassion for his clan and the home they shared. The Sneasel was still young, and it would be a few years before he was required to evolve. However, he left his home to aid all the natives on Mt. Silver, even if he didn't aim to.

Misdreavus felt the responsibility to do the same, yet he remained here with an abandoned ghost Pokémon who refused to advance one evolutionary phase. However, Gastly was his friend, and the relationship would be hard to repair if he temporally dropped off the face of the Earth. It could be done, Misdreavus could return, and preferably not to an unyielding, overconfident Gastly either. Gastly would change her attitude eventually, but it would take a while. Still, Misdreavus was unsure how long he could tolerate her before he would depart and never return.

He made his decision.

He store into the Sneasel's eyes, and Misdreavus responded earnestly.

"I'll come help you."

* * *

_Yep, it's October, and I included Ghost Pokémon because of the month and mainly for the reason that I absolutely love them. I originally had plenty of cussing in this chapter, but I removed it because it didn't seem to fit in with what Pokémon would say. I'm starting to have a better idea of where the plot can go too, considering I came up with this story out of thin air four weeks ago._

_Thank you for reading, and please review!_


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